Bitter Pills - Part Deux

"A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." - Proverbs 17:22

So, is it a sin for a born-again Christian to take anti-depressants like Prozac or Lexapro? When Christians discuss issues like depression (as we did on last week's show) this question inevitably comes up. Some believe it is not an act of faithlessness to take medication for illness. Others insist taking anti-depressants is the pinnacle of distrust in the Great Physician's ability to heal. Of course many do not see depression as an illness but a weakness in character therefore taking medicine for this specific problem is viewed in the same light.

I believe there is much ignorance in the body of Christ about the cause and effects of depression. Of course ignorance has never been a deterrent for people to voice their opinions. Sadly, I've seen and heard plenty of people accuse their brethren of a lack of faith for taking mood enhancing medication.

But, what if these folks are right? IS it a sign of faithlessness to trust in a pharmaceutical company's products instead of Jesus Christ? One could easily argue "no" for more obvious cases of disease such as cancer or diabetes. But what about diseases of the mind and soul?

Many believe emotional/mental conditions such as depression are exclusively the result of the enemy's spiritual attacks on God's people and therefore must be dealt with spiritually. Counseling and intense discipleship/mentoring from a mature believer is often viewed as a more favorable route to healing the inner-man than pills. The truth is, in some cases, this is true.

However, depression is not a condition that can be simply counseled or mentored out. In many cases, the cause of depression is a physiological rather than an emotional one. One of the leading physical causes of depression is a deficiency or imbalance of vital hormones or chemicals produced by various glands and organs of the body. In these cases the only hope for help is medication.

Having said that, are there born-again Christians who are depending on more mundane or carnal means for coping with life instead of cultivating a stronger and healthier relationship with God? Sure. There are many people faithfully attending church services all across the land who are building a dependency on medicines they truly do not need. It happens all the time. After all, building a healthy relationship with God is much more challenging than taking a pill a day; especially in our microwave/remote control/broadband/gotta-have-it-now society.

Basically the argument for or against medically treating a disease of the soul like depression comes down to the individual. It is not possible to throw a blanket on the discussion and install a one-size-fits-all dogma around it. Each individual who suffers with this bone drying condition is each responsible to themselves and God as to their method of dealing with and treating depression. It is the responsibility of the body of Christ to unconditionally love, encourage, exhort, instruct and even rebuke (when necessary) with all longsuffering and doctrine (2 Timothy 4:2). It is not our job to judge one another especially if we are ignorant of the condition and circumstances surrounding a brother's actions.

The fact is many people take anti-depressants because they physically need to and some people take them because they want to. It comes down to motive for the individual but in both cases you are dealing with a soul in pain. The church-at-large needs to be careful how we judge our brethren on issues like this one. In my opinion, love and encouragement should be the first response to a hurting soul rather than rebuke and exhortation on how to "just trust God". Christiany cliches can't begin to do for a hurting soul what a simple hug can do. I believe there would be much more medicinal merry hearts in the Body of Christ if God's people could learn this simple truth instead of our church buildings being filled with dried bones.

Stay tuned true believers...